OFCCP’s Revised FAAP Directive: What Contractors Should Know

Introduction

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently released its final rule updating the existing FAAP directive. As a contractor or subcontractor, this directive affects how you do business and conduct compliance efforts with new requirements for affirmative action plans. Read on to learn more about the changes needed to maintain OFCCP compliance and continue doing business as a federal contractor.

What is the OFCCP’s revised FAAP directive?

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently released a revised Final Affirmative Action Program (FAAP) directive. This directive aims to ensure that all federal contractors and subcontractors comply with the laws and regulations governing equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and non-discrimination. It also guides strengthening companies’ internal compliance programs while maintaining a commitment to fair pay and employment opportunities.

The directive includes several measures to promote greater accountability and transparency, such as requiring contractors and subcontractors to provide detailed reports.

What should contractors know about OFCCP’s revised FAAP?

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently issued a revised Final Affirmative Action Program (FAAP) that all federal contractors must comply with.

The revised FAAP requires contractors to compile and maintain data regarding the diversity of their workforces and implement any necessary changes in hiring practices to correct disparities. Here are some key points contractors should know about the revised FAAP:

1. Contractors must track industry-specific demographics. This includes not just race, ethnicity, and gender but also veteran status and disability status. OFCCP may request specific data sets from contractors that are tailored to the particular industry or job classification being monitored.

2. Contractors must analyze their workforce to identify any disparities and correct them if necessary. This requires a review of recruitment processes and hiring practices for potential improvement areas to increase workplace diversity.

3. Contractors must actively monitor their progress in implementing changes to ensure they meet all requirements set forth by the revised FAAP. This includes monitoring results regularly and making adjustments as needed to reach compliance goals established by OFCCP.

4. Contractors must document all steps taken in monitoring and implementing changes. This includes any outreach efforts to attract diverse candidates, tracking the results of those efforts, and keeping records of any discrepancies identified and the corrective action taken to address them.

5. Contractors must provide timely reports to OFCCP on their compliance activities. This includes submitting the FAAP report, which outlines the contractor’s workforce diversity initiatives, and any other reports or records requested by OFCCP.

6. Contractors must remain in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. This includes not only OFCCP’s revised FAAP but also any other federal or state laws that may apply to the contractor. They must also ensure that their recruitment practices are not discriminatory.

It is also important for contractors to understand their obligations under the revised FAAP to ensure they meet all of its requirements. Failure to comply can result in significant penalties and possible suspension or termination of the contractor’s federal contract.

Therefore, it is essential that contractors actively monitor their compliance status and take steps to make sure they remain compliant with the revised FAAP at all times.

Key changes in the OFCCP’s revised FAAP directive

The OFCCP’s revised FAAP directive includes several vital changes meant to enhance the effectiveness of affirmative action plans as a tool for encouraging diversity and equal opportunity in the workplace.

• Firstly, the Agency has clarified that contractors must develop goals for each job group based on past successes or lack thereof in recruiting, hiring, promoting, and retaining members of underutilized groups.
• Secondly, it has increased its focus on data collection by requiring employers to track applicants from sources outside their current applicant pool. This could result in more comprehensive records and better insights into organizations’ hiring practices.
• Thirdly, it introduced requirements for self-identification forms and reporting procedures, providing additional insight into a contractor’s workforce composition.

Finally, the revised directive emphasized the importance of setting a target hiring rate when developing affirmative action plans. This can help employers identify and address potential disparities in their workforce more quickly.

Conclusion

With the recent changes to the compliance guidance, contractors should take care to review their policies and procedures related to FAAPs. OFCCP’s new directive provides more information on how contractors can ensure that their practices are in keeping with the updated guidance. With these changes, it is important for contractors to stay up-to-date on the latest compliance developments.